Republican Party needs to allow 'dissent,' Rand Paul says
US presidential hopeful Rand Paul says the Republican Party has banned him but he refuses to be silenced and that the party needs to allow "dissent" and a "diversity of opinion."
Seven Republican presidential candidates participated in a debate hosted by Fox Business Network on Thursday night in North Charleston, South Carolina. Senator Paul was excluded from the main event, but was included in the GOP undercard debate, which he boycotted.
"I may have been excluded from the debate tonight, but I won't be silenced," Paul said.
He added that without his voice, the libertarian wing of the Republican Party "wonders if they need to look elsewhere, outside of the party for representation."
Paul stated that he deserved a spot on the main stage, and that without him the party has been deprived of a unique perspective.
"Tonight, I am banned from the debate even though I met the arbitrary and capricious polling standards," he said. "My voice is unique in the party and should not be banished."
Earlier in his remarks, Paul said the Republican Party is turning into “the old white man’s party.”
"If anything, one of the faults of the Republican Party is we’re not diverse enough. When we become the old white man’s party -- which we’ve been kind of headed towards for a while -- we’re never going to win another election,” he said.
Paul also urged on Americans to reject the candidacy of Republican contender Donald Trump because of his dangerous rhetoric.
He criticized Republican voters supporting the New York billionaire, who is leading the crowded Republican field despite making controversial remarks against Mexican immigrants, women and Muslims.
“We need to be careful about letting the voice of the Republican Party be someone who thinks that all immigrants are rapists or drug dealers,” Paul said of Trump.
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